Kate Middleton turns interviewer! Duchess is elegant in £749 Holland Cooper coat as she chairs a discussion between a Second World War veteran, 98, and a Cub Scout, 10, in new video to mark 100 years of the Royal British Legion
- Duchess of Cambridge appears in video to mark Rememberance Sunday and 100 years of the Royal British Legion
- Filmed a conversation with a Second World War veteran and a Cub Scout, 10
- Meeting took place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this month
- Slickly produced video was released on the Kensington Palace YouTube page
A confident Duchess of Cambridge took on the role of interviewer in a heartwarming new video commemorating the centenary of the Royal British Legion.
Kate, 39, was joined by Second World War veteran Colonel David Blum OBE, 98, and ten-year old Cub Scout Emily Edge, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this month to discuss the continued importance of Remembrance events, and their respective experiences in the Scouts.
The Duchess, elegant in a £749 Holland Cooper coat, chaired the wide-ranging conversation, which took in Colonel Blum's memories of the war and saw the trio make poppies under Emily's instruction. At one point Kate also joked about her husband Prince William's time at Sandringham.
The slickly produced video, titled A Conversation Between Generations, was released today on the Kensington Palace YouTube account.
Kate was joined by Second World War veteran Colonel David Blum OBE, 98, and ten-year old Cub Scout Emily Edge, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea this month to discuss the continued importance of Remembrance events, and their respective experiences in the Scouts
Look smart in tartan like the Duchess of Cambridge in Holland Cooper
The Duchess of Cambridge has done it again. Quite how she manages to look so polished, put together and appropriate for any engagement, we'll never know!
This time she teamed a forest green rib knit dress with a splendid navy and green tartan coat layered over the top. The embossed gold buttons give it a military feel, plus the colourway is called Black Watch - a tartan we've seen Kate wearing before.
It's by Holland Cooper, and if you think it's the new winter coat you've been looking for then click through to snap it up.
Or for more choice, check out (no pun intended...) our carousel, where you'll find a Miu Miu masterpiece or a slightly more subtle check trim trench coat at SilkFred.
Seated in a plush armchair on one side of the wood-panelled room, the Duchess of Cambridge embraced the role of interviewer and provided Emily and Colonel Blum with different conversational prompts throughout the eight-minute video
Seated in a plush armchair on one side of the wood-panelled room, the Duchess of Cambridge embraced the role of interviewer and provided Emily and Colonel Blum with different conversational prompts throughout the eight-minute video.
Opening, she said: 'It's lovely to meet both of you. And it's wonderful to be here at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, to talk about Remembrance, especially during the centenary of the Royal British Legion.
'I just wanted to start off by hearing a little bit about both of your stories and a little bit about both of you.'
Share this article
Colonel Blum said: 'I was a Pimlico boy and I got called up for the Army. I was actually called up to Aberdeen. Then I was selected for commissioning and I went to Sandhurst.'
Kate jumped in to add: 'It was probably tougher then than it was when my husband did it, but I've heard a lot about Sandhurst.'
Colonel Blum agreed: 'It had its moments.'
The Duchess of Cambridge invited Colonel Blum and Emily to share their respective experiences with the Scouts during the discussion, filmed by Kensington Palace cameras
Colonel Blum said: 'I was a Pimlico boy and I got called up for the Army. I was actually called up to Aberdeen. Then I was selected for commissioning and I went to Sandhurst'
During their conversation, which took place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this month, The Duchess spoke with Colonel Blum and Emily about the vital role that Remembrance has played within our society over the past 100 years
Ten-year-old Emily told the Duchess she is a Cub who hopes to move up to the Scouts.
Colonel Blum revealed he had been in the Scouts for 'many years' before the war.
Emily told how Scouts had helped her 'bring up her courage and confidence'.
This year, Scouts across the country have been taking part in activities to commemorate the centenary of the Royal British Legion, which was created by Earl Haig in 1921.
The occasion has also been marked by the creation of a new Scouts’ Centenary Remembrance Badge, an initiative spearheaded by The Duchess, which can be awarded to all those who take a meaningful part in Remembrance – including completing activities such as poppy-making or taking part in a local service.
In the film, Her Royal Highness is seen awarding Emily with her Remembrance badge for the activities she has taken part in, including the creation of a poppy display for her local church
During their conversation, which took place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this month, The Duchess spoke with Colonel Blum and Emily about the vital role that Remembrance has played within our society over the past 100 years, and the importance of ensuring that we continue to acknowledge and commemorate the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women.
Colonel Blum reflected on the importance of Remembrance to him, having served in Italy during the Second World War, whilst Emily spoke about what she has learned about the roles that the Scouts played as part of the wartime effort, including helping with the evacuation of young children from cities, and taking part in fire watches and harvests. They also discussed the long-term impact of Colonel Blum’s own time in the Scouts, and the vital life skills and experiences that being a Scout can provide to young people, including building confidence, team-building skills and resilience.
In the film, Her Royal Highness is seen awarding Emily with her Remembrance badge for the activities she has taken part in, including the creation of a poppy display for her local church.
